Teenager who worked at Goodwill charged with a felony after giving needy customers d

Teenager who worked at Goodwill charged with a felony after giving needy customers discounts on merchandise

An East Naples teenager who thought he was doing a good deed ended up behind bars.

Collier County deputies say 19-year-old Andrew Anderson was an employee at a Goodwill store in East Naples -- he was arrested for giving out discounts.

On Thursday, he sat down exclusively with Rick Ritter to talk about his arrest and why he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

"I'm not a bad person, what I did was with all good intentions," Anderson said.

Good intentions Anderson can't put a price tag on. For him, it was the best feeling in the world.

"It makes you feel amazing, makes you feel like that you can actually be the person to help them," Anderson said.

The 19-year-old was an employee at Goodwill Retail and Donation Center in East Naples -- giving out discounts to customers he thought were in need.

"People would come in on bicycles -- wearing all of the clothes they had, coming in with $2, $3 max," Anderson said.

Not thinking anything of it, Anderson would cut prices in half, leaving families with a smile.

"I wasn't actually stealing. Goodwill is a giving and helping company, so I took it upon to myself to be giving and helping because I feel people deserve it," Anderson said.

But the teenager quickly went from paying it forward to the Collier County jail.

"My heart just dropped into my stomach," Anderson said.

Store officials fired Anderson and reported the incident to deputies. They arrested him Tuesday and charged him with grand theft.

The statue for grand theft reads, "Theft -- Appropriate the property to his or her own use or to the use of any person not entitled to the use of the property." - Per Collier County Sheriff's Office

Anderson says he never knew giving discounts was wrong or even illegal.

"The intent I had was to help people, just like Goodwill says, we help people," Anderson said.

Andrew says out of the two weeks he gave discounts, not once did he put a dollar in his own pocket and he even offered to pay back the money that Goodwill estimates he gave away.

Store officials say none of that matters.

"Our stores are not around to give a hand out, they're around to give people a hand up by providing funding, said Kirstin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for Goodwill Retail and Donation Center in East Naples.

"In incidents like this, we always prosecute and the reason why is when people steal from Goodwill, they're not stealing from the company, they're stealing from the mission of our organization."

"He shouldn't be [fired], especially when you think you're doing something right in your heart," said Judy Shaffer of Naples.

"I think they should've sat him down and explained to him what he was doing wrong instead of firing him." said Dale Shaffer of Naples.

While Anderson faces felony charges, he's hoping they'll get dropped and wants people to know this was an honest mistake.

"My heart was in the right place, my head was in the wrong place," Anderson said.

__________________
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

"If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson

It must feel good to help other people with someone else's things. If he is willing to give me his paycheck I will hand it out to poor people so I can feel good~

__________________“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion"
Steven Weinberg~

How does goodwill get those things they are selling?Posted via Mobile Device

Donations of course. But there is overhead involved...like hispaycheck, operation cost ect. If he wishes to feel good he should try having some skin in the game. No I don't think he should catch a felony but some public service instead of time may teach him helping people requires "him" helping people in order to feel good about it~

__________________“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion"
Steven Weinberg~

He's selling that stuff for half price..you know the donated stuff. Lolz should have been a slap on the wrist at most.

__________________
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

"If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson